Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Nick on the Red Carpet at Fox
I feel like I'm part of his Entourage - I helped him buy those clothes! LOL
Writing Continues!
Been working on my new book a little bit each day, and very excited about it. I feel like I could finish it in a week, if I had the time off... though, of course, it's better to let it sit for a while and then go back with fresh eyes.
With Kindle, it's very much like making a home tape or CD - now I know that I could upload at any time, but I have to fight that temptation and make it as good as it can be (though it certainly won't need 33 years of marinating, like Elmwood!)
Poor Sharon is still sick in bed. She can barely talk to me, her head hurts so badly.
With Kindle, it's very much like making a home tape or CD - now I know that I could upload at any time, but I have to fight that temptation and make it as good as it can be (though it certainly won't need 33 years of marinating, like Elmwood!)
Poor Sharon is still sick in bed. She can barely talk to me, her head hurts so badly.
Monday, January 28, 2013
New Book Idea!
On Sunday, while looking through old papers and journals, I found a bizarre idea I'd quickly jotted down and forgotten. It's a very bizarre, Vonnegut-like idea that requires absolute suspension of disbelief, but I think it might work! It has to do with sound editing, so obviously I've had years of experiences I can bring into play while writing this. I banged out the first chapter and lots of notes, and am getting new ideas all the time. It would be a novella or an extended short story for Kindle.
I don't even want to say what the idea is, because the title would give it all away. I'd also like to get my friend Greg to design a really catchy book cover.
Besides Vonnegut, the closest works that might resemble this idea are Wag The Dog or Being John Malkovich. The trick will be plowing ahead with the story and creating believable characters so that you don't have time to ponder the fact that the story could never happen. And though the central idea is kind of creepy, I want to offset that aspect with lots of character-driven humor.
I don't even want to say what the idea is, because the title would give it all away. I'd also like to get my friend Greg to design a really catchy book cover.
Besides Vonnegut, the closest works that might resemble this idea are Wag The Dog or Being John Malkovich. The trick will be plowing ahead with the story and creating believable characters so that you don't have time to ponder the fact that the story could never happen. And though the central idea is kind of creepy, I want to offset that aspect with lots of character-driven humor.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
My Filmic Awakening
In the early-to-mid 70's I began to fall in love with movies, and in the spring of 1976 I enrolled in the filmmaking course at Los Angeles City College. Though I dropped out after one semester, I learned quite a lot about all types of movies and saw many classics for the first time.
Below are my notes about three of these movies. I think they're funny because I'm struggling to understand why these films spoke to me, and obviously I'm mostly drawn to their visual style. Most of these notes could apply to Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" which had just been released and was a favorite of mine, even while it was trashed by my film school teachers.
Though I was never a great filmmaker, I definitely began incorporating these stylistic options into my own movies.
Below are my notes about three of these movies. I think they're funny because I'm struggling to understand why these films spoke to me, and obviously I'm mostly drawn to their visual style. Most of these notes could apply to Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" which had just been released and was a favorite of mine, even while it was trashed by my film school teachers.
Though I was never a great filmmaker, I definitely began incorporating these stylistic options into my own movies.
Truffaut's "Two English Women"
To approximate the style and general effect of French Films:
Focus slightly fogged (spray?)
Smooth pans, slow
Lush backgrounds, greenery, blue skies against a "rural" foreground
Many, many different locations, even within a small area
Each sequence is only as long as need be; some are static and lengthy for a specific effect
Rich Classical music, as if written especially for the movie
Aways impeccably "Beautiful" women, even in disarray
Many tracking shots
Laughing faces of two young girls, after prayers, to depict a sexual awakening. "it was our secret."
"Soft Skin" (Black & White)
Soft, out of focus backgrounds, as opposed to much depth of field in a far-away telephoto lens.
Actions are given extreme fluidity by constant cuts between two different points of the action with longer-than-actual-time cuts (example: man pulling nylon stocking off his girlfriend.)
Repeated use of a quick cut showing one action (turning ignition key.)
Fellini's "8 & 1/2"
Radical points-of-view changes, from way up to way down.
Long pans back and forth, each bringing life to the section it covers.
People walking toward camera.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Actual Dates!
Looking through an old notebook tonight, I stumbled upon a list of actual BERTH recording dates and times! I believe it only covers what we thought were "official" albums, since the list appears way too sparse.... however, it's still a very cool artifact.
Here's a short fragment:
Here's a short fragment:
02-09-71 BERTHQUAKE 2:30-5:00
03-06-71 BERTH & THE CEMENT CORNER REVIVAL
3:30-5:00
04-16-71 BERTH 13, THE ULTIMATE TRIP, MOVIE 2
1:00-10:00
05-04-71 RIZZLED MEAT 1:30-2:30
05-08-71 ETERNAL MOTION, ONE YEAR
3:00-5:30
06-01-71 NON ELECTRIC SONGS BY THE BERTH BAND
3:45-4:30
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